Newcastle Eagles overcame the Leicester Riders 76-72 at the Vertu Motors Arena on Friday night but were made to work hard for their triumph.

Andrea Daley led the Eagles with 33 points, 10 rebounds and six steals. Shanique Lucas chipped in with 17 points and nine boards. For Leicester, Mercy Ademusayo had 18 points.

In a game played 48 hours before the SLB Cup Final in Manchester, this game certainly provided a stellar starting point for the rollercoaster of emotion that will follow on Sunday afternoon.

Newcastle had the lead for the majority of the first half, but were unable to lead by more than eight points in that period, as Leicester – who are fighting for the last Play-Off spot – made life tricky. They were executing superbly, shooting 51% from the field compared to just 44% from the Eagles.

The difference between the two teams? Free throw shooting. Eagles enjoyed ten trips to the lines, compared to only six from the Riders. Plus, the hosts had the edge in points in the paint, where they were at their most dangerous.

When the Eagles soared – or did they?

Taking a 40-34 advantage at the half was vital for Newcastle, but they still sensed that the Riders were within inches of them.

The hosts quickly established a double-digit cushion, and their lead ballooned to 68-50 after three quarters. Game over, right?

Wrong.

Leicester refused to throw in the towel and staged an almighty comeback. Trailing by as many as 18 points, a three-pointer from Brooke Biggott reduced the deficit to 73-70 with 30 seconds left.

However, Newcastle held their nerve as a team and recovered enough to stumble over the finish line.